Metalinguistic knowledge, or linguistic awareness, involves the ability to focus attention upon the form of language in and of itself, rather than merely as the vehicle by which meaning is conveyed. This ability to analyze language structures lags behind spontaneous speaking and listening performance because of the additional cognitive skills…

This collection of papers presents research on language processing among second language learners and bilinguals. The nine papers include the following: (1) "The Bilingual's Language Modes" (Francois Grosjean); (2) "The Voicing Contrast in English and Spanish: The Relationship between Perception and Production" (Mary L. Zampini…

Ten teachers write about time-related frustrations growing out of school reform efforts, noting how problems were or were not resolved. There are specific examples of what it is like to experience school reform and how reform affects teachers' already full days. These cases are preceded by contextual descriptions. Each case study includes one or…

When young children can solve problems in a nonthreatening classroom environment, they feel emotionally safe and can focus their efforts on learning. This book describes the use of class meetings in which early childhood teachers provide guidance in solving a problem or resolving a conflict to help children reach a solution that all can accept.…

This workbook for elementary school teachers is designed to help make their first few weeks of school successful. It provides lesson plans, classroom management strategies, student assessments, and special aids for teaching bilingual students. After an "Introduction" that discusses the ups and downs of a first-year teacher, there are nine…

This publication of the California Association of School Psychologists reflects a broad array of topics for those who serve a diverse group of students with a range of needs. The articles in this volume address several current topics, including cognitive assessment with bilingual students; cultural considerations when working with parents;…

In California, the state is responsible for ensuring equality of educational opportunity for all of its students. Yet, with respect to English learners, the state has largely failed even to assess the conditions of education for these students. It has not adequately monitored their educational opportunities in terms of access to critical resources…

Forty-three Puerto Rican mother-child dyads in Head Start programs, grouped according to whether the children had learned Spanish and English from birth (n=28) or Spanish from birth and English in Head Start (n=15) participated in a study of home literacy experiences and emerging English literacy abilities. Results found that literacy development…

Discusses efforts of an ESL teacher to use storytelling in a multiage classroom to bridge language barriers. Suggests that storytelling can be used to teach not only English, but also history and science, since storytelling develops imagination as well as oral and written communication skills, encourages the art of listening, and helps expand…

Describes one student teacher's experiences developing the literacy skills of a 13-year-old boy from the former Soviet Union who had poorly-developed first-language literacy skills and difficulty with English. After defining and describing linguistic development in general, the paper explains how the student teacher made tutoring effective and fun…

A successful collaboration resulted in a researcher and a teacher linking professional development with change in small-group reading instruction and student achievement. The context was a two-way Spanish-English bilingual immersion first-grade classroom with many English language learners (ELLs), located in a low-performing, high-poverty school.…

This volume brings together a broad range of academics, school-based educators, and policymakers to address research, policy, and practice issues related to improving the education of English language learners in U.S. schools today. It emphasizes throughout that instructional improvements cannot be achieved via curriculum alone--teachers are key…

This article reports the results of a survey of third-grade teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in Arizona regarding school language and accountability policies--Proposition 203, which restricts bilingual education and mandates sheltered English Immersion; the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); and Arizona LEARNS, the…

Children from non-English-speaking homes are doubly disadvantaged when learning English in school. They enter school with less prior knowledge of English sounds, word meanings, and sentence structure, and they get little or no reinforcement of their learning outside of the classroom. This article compares the classroom standard practice of…

If, as research suggests, exposing children to two languages and two cultures provides a cognitive advantage, it could be assumed that a child exposed to two languages may be accelerated in a more advanced cognitive stage (as defined by Piaget) than a child exposed to only one language. This study sought to determine when Hispanic children from…